Collins appears headed to Mississippi State

We're hearing there's a strong chance that FIU defensive coordinator Geoff Collins will accept a job offer from the Mississippi State -- perhaps as early as today.

Collins, who helped transform one of the NCAA's worst defense into the Sun Belt's best, has been linked to the Bulldogs' co-coordinator job.

The feeling around the program is the Panthers will almost certainly lose Collins to the SEC.

Should Collins accept the job, FIU would consider internal candidates, but also conduct extensive interviews from the outside. With the Panthers' recent success, the job has become a more attractive position nationally.

"Geoff has shown the type of immediate impact he can bring to a defense by what he did at Florida International last season," head coach Dan Mullen said. "He’s a smart young coach that has great experience, and he’ll bring the same kind of aggressive attitude and philosophy that we expect from our defense at Mississippi State."